Update: It looks like book publishers-turned-film-producers Hannover House jumped the gun. Following their press release indicating their plans to make an animated ‘Terminator’ film, franchise right holders Pacificor has sent a cease-and-desist letter as it appears the project is news to them and that proper licensing wasn’t obtained. Here’s where it gets sticky (and also very boring). Hannover House CEO Eric Parkinson used to head up Hemdale, makers of the first “The Terminator,” and that despite the rights changing hands over the years, he still has the animation rights. In effect, both Hannover and Pacificor need each other to make an animated film and Parkinson is negotiating right now to make sure everything is above board. But issuing a press release before you have everything in place? Bad form.
Believe it or not, there was a time when “The Terminator” was a valuable and highly prized franchise commodity in Hollywood. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” still stands of one of the best sequels and summer popcorn films of all time, and even the films after it — “Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines” and “Terminator: Salvation” — were met with increasingly diminished returns, at the core of it was still a world people wanted to explore.
Anyhow, the rights to the film were up for grabs earlier this year and while heavyweights like Sony and Lionsgate circled them, they were acquired by Pacificor, a hedge fund company. In turn, they have now licensed the film rights to Hannover House and Red Bear Entertainment who have announced plans for “Terminator 3000,” a $70 million CG animated feature that will apparently utilize the characters and story arc of the franchise so far.
Plot details on the film, which is aiming for a PG-13 rating are being kept under wraps, but don’t hold your breath for anything decent. Hannover House are still a fledgling film company with their most notable/notorious film to date being Joel Schumacher’s “Twelve” which may actually be the biggest box office bomb of the year. It was certainly on the most critically reviled. As for Red Bear Entertaiment, a quick Google search brings up this year project so we’re not quiet sure who they are.
Anyway, in case you’re still interested, production begins in January.